It should have been the easiest call in the world to write Blur off, after Damon Albarn's mega-success as a cartoon (of all things) with his monster side-project Gorillaz. Albarn publicly admitted he didn't know if there was a future for Blur amid all the in-fighting with drummer Dave
Roundtree and bassist Alex James. But the most dramatic development came down when Graham Coxon (the defining sound of Blur) quit the band. Gorillaz part two then?

Surprisingly enough no. The remaining three members of Blur have pulled together to do something no one really expected, make a beautiful record. Think Tank opens with the phenomenal "Ambulance," that plays off of a cool James bass riff, and cooing Moroccan backing vocalists, while Albarn barks his opening statement "I ain't got nothin' to be scared of, cause I love you." In that sentiment alone you know that you're in for an interesting ride. What's great about the ride is the thrill of not knowing where this album is going at any time. Completely unpredictable, Think Tank weaves punk snarl, African worldbeat, and groovy sounding electronics into one amazing mix.

It also helps that Albarn is at the top of his game here, vocally and lyrically. On "Out of Time" Albarn wonders "Where's the love song to set us free?" And goes on to let a loved-one know that "you've been so busy lately that you haven't found the time, to watch the world spinning gently out of time." "Crazy Beat," which has the only big guitar riffs on the entire record, will definitely be the big hit of this album. They should have saved themselves time and just called it Song 3. Ironically, the closing song "Battery in Your Leg" is the only song on Think Tank that has all four members together. Albarn croons, "Here's a ballad for the good times, so put a battery in your leg." Reminding us that Blur is now a three piece but now all the better for it. Stunning and powerful, Think Tank is definitely one of, if not the best Blur album ever, and also one of the best albums of the year.